


Leader

by Nicholas_Rush



Category: Stargate Universe
Genre: Abuse, Action/Adventure, Angst, Computer Viruses, F/F, F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, M/M, Multi, Not Really Abuse, Not a scientist, Other, Rush has had better days, simulations, this shit makes no sense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-06
Updated: 2019-03-06
Packaged: 2019-11-12 23:43:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18020732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nicholas_Rush/pseuds/Nicholas_Rush
Summary: Young's day to day takes a turn into the strange as Rush starts to blame him for mysterious injuries that start appearing out of nowhere. Enlisting the help of Eli, he endeavors to look for the source of the problem, and the answers they find only lead to more questions.





	1. Suspicions

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time posting my fanfics anywhere, though I have a few I might put up eventually.

“Colonel Young,” TJ said, her voice even as she sat across from him in the mess hall. Young, who had been enjoying a particularly bland plate of paste for dinner, regarded the medic for a moment, curious to see the rather neutral expression on her face. He knew her well enough to know what that expression meant- she was trying not to look pissed with him about something. He wondered what he could have done- he didn’t remember saying anything to irritate her recently, nor had he gone against her wishes when it came to his own care or any of her patients. 

“Out with it, TJ,” he said easily, swallowing down another difficult bite of mush, “I know you’re not here to keep me company. What’s wrong?” 

TJ sighed, annoyed, “fine, you want me to just get to the point? Then I will. Have you been rough with Rush recently?” 

“Rough how?” Young inquired curiously. Of course they had butted heads- they always did. It was probably weirder to go a day where they weren’t yelling at one another.

“Physically,” she said, unamused, “there are bruises on his arm. I saw them when his shirt caught on the console, just for a moment.”

“Did you ask him about it?” 

“He said I must have been seeing things and I should lie down so I stopped bothering him.” 

Young huffed. “Sounds about right for him.” 

“Maybe he knocked into something when he was working. You know how he is. The guy doesn’t know how to look after himself.” 

“You haven’t answered my question- did you hurt him?” TJ asked again, undeterred. Young watched her for a moment, and seemed to realize that she wasn’t just using the question as a segway into the topic of Rush’s potential bruises. 

“No, TJ,” was his firm answer, “I haven’t hurt him. I haven’t laid a hand on him for a long time.” 

“Since the seeder ship, before we got to the new galaxy?” 

“Right.” 

“Alright. Sorry, I just… wanted to make sure. But maybe you’re right. It’s probably just him bumping into stuff and not wanting to make a fuss. Maybe I’m just being paranoid… I’m sorry for thinking you had something to do with it.” Young didn’t respond to that, but the look he gave her probably spoke enough words: it was fine. A gentle, reassuring smile laced with just a bit of a sadness behind the eyes. It hurt that she would immediately think a bruise meant Young had been abusing the guy, but he supposed he had hardly given her a reason to think differently. When it came to Rush, he tended to snap. 

“You should probably try to get some sleep,” Young told TJ with a sigh, if only to get rid of her. TJ frowned a nodded, though it seemed a little reluctant. Noting this, Young arched an eyebrow. “What is it?” 

“Nothing, Everett,” the medic replied, “I’ve just been having some bad dreams lately. The baby… I don’t know why it’s coming up now but it’s hard to want to sleep.” 

“I’m sorry,” replied Young, unsure of what else to say, “maybe something to help you sleep? We got a few new herbs that some of the crew swear by.” TJ nodded half-heartedly and left Young alone, heading back the way she had come with no new answers to her many questions than when she had started. Young, meanwhile, finished his meal and rose soon after. He had a science team to check in on, after all. 

Maybe he could see if he noticed these supposed bruises. 

\--

When he entered the bridge, Volker and Brody were on one side of the room, huddled over their consoles and whispering about something that sounded very high-tech, while Rush was sitting in the commander’s chair, poking away at the console without any awareness that the rest of them were even in the same room. While Volker and Brody both offered Young a wave when he came in, Rush didn’t even look away from his screen. 

Young was sure he had heard him. 

“What’s our current status?” He asked. The lack of jumping from Rush only confirmed that he wasn’t just becoming aware of the man’s presence. That bastard. Young circled the chair, looking down at the perpetually tired-looking scientist. 

Maybe he was just thinking too much about what TJ had mentioned, but he looked more haggard than usual. Unfortunately, his white sleeves were pulled down and Young couldn’t see anything that might have been a bruise on his arms. 

“Are you done?” Rush demanded, and Young realized he had been blatantly staring at the man. 

“Just answer the question, Rush,” he shot back with a heavy sigh. 

“We’re fine,” the scientist relied, looking back down at his console, “there’s nothing to report. We’re just finishing the last diagnostic checks.” 

“Good. Make sure all three of you get some rest when you’re finished. You’re looking exhausted. When was the last time you slept?” 

“Oh, actually I had this really terrible dream last night, thanks for the concern, colonel,” chimed Brody from the corner. Young tried to glare at him, but he was sure he looked more amused than annoyed. Rush, however, looked perfectly pissed and Brody quickly turned back to his work, a small giggled shared between himself and Volker. 

“I meant you,” Young clarified with a smirk. 

“I know what you meant. I’m fine,” Rush grunted, his eyes returning to the console. Young shook his head, moving a hand to ruffle Rush’s hair. 

“Just make sure you get some sleep today, Doc,” he teased, fluffing his hair simply because he knew it annoyed him. He paused, though, when he saw the short wince from the man, pain flashing across his features before he buried it under an irritated glare. Was that a bump he’d felt? 

“I told you before not to do that,” Rush hissed, “if you’re finished, why don’t you go bother your own team? There’s nothing for you to do here.” 

Young might have been angrier with the dismissive attitude had he not still been wondering about that reaction. He could only click his teeth and turn to leave, allowing them to get back to work.

… for about four hours. Then he was back in the control room. The scene had changed slightly. Now it was, predictably, only Rush who remained there. Volker and Broby had heeded the order to get some sleep, while Rush had unsurprisingly decided to ignore it. Young cleared his throat loudly as he came inside, causing the scientist to raise his head from the station he had been working at. 

“I thought I said to get some rest,” the colonel commented, his tone far from amused. Rush watched him carefully for a moment, before looking back down at his work.

“Yes, yes,” he replied absently, “in a minute.” 

“No, now, Rush,” Young said, moving up beside him once more. Rush looked thoroughly annoyed and put upon, like he had been asked to give up everything he had ever loved, but reluctantly shut off the console, slowly getting to his feet. The fact that Rush seemed to be acknowledging his command at all was nothing short of astounding to Young. Maybe there was something wrong with him? 

“Fine,” Rush said, further concerning the leader, “I can’t do anything more until I finish the scans, anyway.” 

“What? Just that easy? If you think you can placate me just to get me to leave, you’ve got another thing coming.” 

The tired look on Rush’s face was almost startling. It looked beaten- like he was too tired, even to make a retort. Young wasn’t sure he had ever seen Rush look so…

Defeated. 

“Rush?” He heard himself asking before he could bring his brain back into the process. 

“I’m tired, colonel,” Rush explained with irritation, running a hand through his hair, “I’d rather not get into another pointless argument with you if it can be helped. So I’ll go, alright? Is that okay with you?” 

But Young wasn’t listening. He’d seen it. When Rush had raised his hand, he had caught sight of the bruises on Rush’s arm. Without thinking, he had moved forward again, advancing towards Rush so suddenly that the smaller man looked startled and attempted to move back, thinking he was going to be hurt. But there was nowhere to run, and soon Young was close enough to strike him if he wanted to. 

He wasn’t there to hurt Rush. Instead, he took Rush’s shirt, hoisting it unapologetically up to have a look at his body. The mathematician barely had a chance to protest before Young found himself staring at a variety of bruises and healing wounds on Rush’s body. 

“Rush…” 

Rush pushed his shirt down, Young letting it go on instinct. He watched the man scramble to find some kind of composure, his face red with rage. “What the hell are you doing colonel?! I said I would go to- must you insist on toying with me?!” 

“Rush,” Young said again, ignoring everything else, “who did that to you?” 

“Very funny Colonel,” Rush snarled, “like you don’t know.” Young blinked. The man was looking at him like he really did think he was joking- like somehow Young was supposed to know the answer. The implication of that made Young’s heart sink into his stomach, which churned unhappily in his sudden burst of anxiety. 

“What are you talking about? Who did this?” He knew the answer, and dreaded to hear it. But he had to. As painful as it was, he wanted it to be confirmed. Rush was happy to oblige. 

“You did.”


	2. Confusion

After their encounter, Young had quickly retreated from the bridge, making his way directly to the infirmary. The only thing he could think to do was talk to TJ about had happened. She was, of course, working, and when he entered she was quick to sit him down on one of the gurneys and bring him a cup of water before listening to his tale. 

“He said it was me,” Young rasped after downing the water. If only it had been alcohol- he might have felt more relaxed. The cup trembled in his hand.

“You?” TJ repeated, needing a little more to go on. 

“I saw the bruises on his own. I raised his shirt- he’s covered in marks, TJ. Bruises, cuts, other wounds. I felt a bump on his head, too. Someone kicked the shit out of him and he says it was me.” 

TJ was quiet for a moment, considering. “But… you don’t remember doing anything like that to him?” 

“TJ, I swear, I haven’t laid a hand on him. Or anyone. I’m… I’m trying.” Trying to be a better man, but that went without saying. TJ smiled sympathetically at him, but it only lasted for a moment as her thoughtful expression returned. 

“I believe you,” she assured him, “but Rush has to have a reason for thinking it was you. Maybe he was mistaken? Or tricked? Would someone on the ship do that?” Impersonate Young just to beat on Rush? How could they even manage it? It seemed Young was skeptic of that as well. She shook her head. “Or maybe he thinks you ordered someone to do it for you. Maybe he was blaming you for someone else’s actions.” 

“I don’t know. He looked at me like I was going to rip him to shreds. I think he’s scared of me, though he’s doing what he can to hide it.” 

“What about your spy kinos?” She asked, though it came to no surprise to him that she was aware of them, “maybe Eli recorded something. You know he can’t go over all the footage.” 

“I guess I’ll have to start there. Thanks TJ. Thanks for… for believing me.” 

“Everett, you’re a lot of things but a vicious person isn’t one of them. I know you wouldn’t hurt someone unless it was a fit of passion… that’s usually more your style.” She meant well, but Young still winced. “I just mean I believe you if you say you didn’t do it.”

“Yeah well, you may end up being the only one depending on how this goes. I’ll go talk to Eli.” 

“Good luck.” 

\--

Young had made short work in asking for Eli’s help. He explained the situation , though the idea of leaving it vague had crossed his mind, and after swearing him to secrecy they decided together that looking through the past data would take a very long time, considering they had no idea when Rush was attacked or where, and that it would be secondary to keeping an eye on Rush for any future trouble. Once again they were spying on Rush, though this time it was in an effort to save him rather than hurt him. 

But it seemed watching him would not save him from another attack. 

A week had gone by and things had gone relatively quiet. Young did his best to stay as far from Rush as possible, and Rush had seemed thankful for it. He still didn’t seem to be sleeping much, but at least Young was making a conscious effort not to be in the same room as him for more than five minutes. Eli was also keeping an eye on his movements, on the off-chance he was sleep-pounding Rush or something. But Young had never left his quarters and after a few days of non-stop observation, it was still unclear how it might have been him in the first place. Something that had already worn off, perhaps? In any case, a new problem had apparently started to crop up among the crew, as well as the military and the civilians- bad dreams. It seemed a small problem, in the grand scheme of things going wrong on the Destiny, but it had been coming up far too often for it to simply be a coincidence. People couldn’t seem to go five minutes without mentioning a nightmare or strange dream they’d had. TJ hadn’t found anything in anyone’s bloodwork to suggest any type of poisoning, but that hadn’t stopped Young from ordering every type of food they had on board checked just in case. Maybe something they had picked up was having a change effect on them when they slept. It was only by some miracle that he hadn’t fallen victim to any bad dreams, himself. For him, things seemed to finally be looking up. 

He had just started to feel better until he saw Rush enter the bridge that day. Not only did he look exhausted, but there was a very noticeable limp in his step. It looked as though walking was extremely painful, which of course only exacerbated his acerbic personality. 

“What happened?” Young demanded, glad they were alone. 

“You know what happened,” Rush growled, limping past him to get to the console. 

“You’re saying I did this again?” 

“Colonel, what is it you want from me?” Snapped Rush, turning his head over his shoulder to glare at him, “what are you getting out of this little game? There’s no one here to appreciate your little act. You can cut the bloody crap.” 

“Rush, I promise you- I didn’t do this. I haven’t touched you.” Rush scoffed at that, giving him such a loathing look. He was convinced Young was playing some kind of game. This was all part of his twisted amusement. Young frowned. They didn’t like each other, sure, but he found himself hating that look in Rush’s eyes. Not just the loathing, but the misery. The fear. 

“Rush… I mean it. I have no idea what’s going on, but this? This isn’t me. I’m going to find out what’s really going on. I’m going to-”

“Enough! What’s really going on? What’s really going on is you’ve completely lost your marbles. You can’t… you don’t get to beat the crap out of me one day, then act like some kind of wounded puppy the next! What the hell is wrong with you?!” 

“I-I don’t know, alright? But I swear I’m going to figure it out.” 

“Right.” 

“Did this happen last night?” Young asked, indicating his leg. Rush nodded, unsure of what else to do. “Okay. I’m… I’m going to figure this out,” he said again. 

Rush only stared at him, confused. Young could see he didn’t know what to make of his promises. Why should he? If Rush had seen Young’s face, and felt his attacks, then he had no reason to believe they weren’t actually from him. He couldn’t say what was really happening. He had no means of convincing Rush that this wasn’t just some revenge for everything Rush had done while on the Destiny.

All he could do was sit there as Rush moved to get to work. The man didn’t speak to him again. Uneasy, Young got up, deciding to reconvene with Eli about the new information. On his way out, he heard a shuddering breath escape Rush- one he probably hadn’t even realized he had been holding.


	3. Progression

“I’m telling you, there’s nothing here,” Eli said after spending hours with Young, combing over the footage from the night before. They had tracked every step of both Rush and Young, and neither had crossed paths for more than five minutes. Young’s footage, especially considering Young’s demands to be watched, accounted for almost every minute through the night. He spent the whole time asleep in his quarters. No sleep walking. No sleep punching. And Rush had returned to his quarters, too, though there was no kino planted inside of it as that would have been much too much of a security breach even for Young to cross.

“There’s no footage of Rush getting attacked. Not by you, and not by anyone else. He goes into his room and no one goes in with him. When he comes out this morning… he’s limping.”

“So you think he’s doing it to himself? To frame me somehow?” Young asked, a small bubble of anger inside him that he did his best to keep down. 

“I mean, he could be, but he’s not telling anyone about this, right? He hasn’t told Camile or attempted to contact SGC. The only reason TJ found out was through you. Why would he hurt himself and then keep it a secret from everyone?” 

Young frowned. “Why does Rush do anything he does? Maybe he has a reason for it. Or…” he hesitated, his mind flashing back to the look of defeat on Rush’s face. It didn’t look like a man with something up his sleeve. It looked like a man who didn’t have any fight left in him. No plan. 

There hadn’t been anything fake about those fearful eyes. 

“Something is happening here,” Young growled, “and I want to know what it is.” 

“I’ll keep looking over the footage,” Eli said, “maybe I missed something.” 

“I’m going to Rush’s quarters.” 

“Sir?” 

“Whatever’s happening, it’s happening when he goes in there. I think it’s time to see what’s going on behind closed doors.” 

“Great! I didn’t really feel like sleeping anyway.” 

“Let me guess- bad dreams?” When Eli nodded, Young gave a heavy sigh, “something else to worry about. But one thing at a time. We need to find out what Rush is up to this time.” 

\--

As he made his way to Rush’s quarters, kino in hand, he couldn’t help feeling those fears popping up in his mind again. What if he was doing this, somehow? Going there could simply be allowing himself another opportunity at Rush. But he couldn’t deny that there was now also a chance of Rush fabricating this whole thing. He could step into those quarters and find Rush in the midst of giving himself new bruises. Had they even been real? He hadn’t checked closely. Only the visual. Could it have been make up? 

But what was Rush gaining from all this, if he was putting on an elaborate act? 

By the time he reached Rush’s quarters, he had only given himself more questions than answers. Loudly, he knocked on the door. It was late and the man might have been asleep, but he generally doubted that ever to be the case. He wasn’t even sure if Rush was in there at the moment. After an extended silence, Young pressed the console next to the door, allowing it to slide open so he could let himself in. 

The place was, of course, largely undecorated. Even the small amounts of personal items people had managed to bring with them helped make their rooms feel more like their own. There would barely be any indication someone was even staying there if not for the body of the small man in the bed. Young watched him for a moment, frowning. So he did actually sleep sometimes- amazing. He moved closer to the bed, looking down at the man’s face. Even in the dark of the room, the door now closed again to block the light from the corridor, he could make out the sharp features of the man. Somehow, even asleep, he looked troubled. 

Not sure what he was doing, Young sat himself down in a nearby chair, watching him without getting too close. Just in case. The man released the kino, which floated lazily nearby to keep watch of him while he waited. What was he waiting for? He didn’t know. Maybe someone sneaking in through some unknown second entrance. Maybe nothing at all. It only took about ten minutes before he found himself shuffling quietly around the room, snooping through Rush’s limited belongings for anything that might resemble makeup or something else that could replicate bruises.Chess set, some books, a stash of chalk for his math corridor, nothing that gave him away. 

No trace of some kind of elaborate ruse. Scouting the walls didn’t reveal any other hidden doorway, either. At least not one he could find. 

He then moved back to Rush, carefully lifting the bottom of his blanket to take a peek at his foot while the man was unaware. Thank God he had boxers on under there, or it might have been extremely awkward. He looked at the man’s ankle. Even in the dark, he could make out the darker coloring around his skin- it was bruised. Swollen, too, he could make out. No wonder it had been painful to walk around on. Carefully, he replaced the blanket, moving to look through Rush’s bag from when he had arrived on Destiny all those years ago now. 

“Young,” grumbled the man from the bed, causing the colonel to shoot upright. He spun on his heels, expecting to have to defend himself against a very pissed off scientist. Instead, he found Rush still fast asleep in the bed, his expression more unhappy now than when he had entered. He looked like he was sweating, and his breathing had picked up. The man started to shift in the bed, his hands flying up above him on the pillow like someone had them pinned there. 

“Please,” he begged weakly in his sleep, “please stop this.” 

“Rush?” Young asked, moving towards the bed. He was mesmerized. These beatings were so painful for Rush that he was having nightmares about them. He watched the way Rush uselessly squirmed, but it seemed he couldn’t break himself from from his captor’s grip. 

From Young’s grip, no doubt. 

As he continued to watch, he found himself more confused by what he was looking at. Rush’s body twisted and jerked, like he was reacted to punches. He grunted as one seemed to collide with his stomach, causing him to gasp helplessly for air like he couldn’t breathe. Like it had actually been knocked out of his lungs. Then, his hands seemed to be released, and they moved quickly to grasp at something apparently around his throat. He pawed helplessly at the air, gagging. 

He was being choked. The dream was extremely vivid- if Young hadn’t known better, he might have thought he was getting attacked by someone invisible. 

“Rush. Hey, Rush! Wake up. You’re having a nightmare,” Young said, moving to the bed and leaning over to give Rush’s shoulder a shake. But Rush didn’t respond- he kept making choked noises, desperately clawing at nothing. Young could see his movements were getting weaker. He must have been blacking out in the dream. 

Young gave him another shake. “Rush, come on, wake up. You’re okay,” he assured him. Rush seemed to fall quiet again, his hands dropping to his sides limply as his gasping stopped. At first, Young thought he had heard him and was coming around, but he didn’t open his eyes. In fact, it took a moment before Young realized that he wasn’t breathing, either.

“Jesus Christ. Rush?!” He moved onto the bed, forgoing personal space as he hovered over the man, placing a hand to his neck. A pulse, but he definitely wasn’t breathing. He shifted his body so he could attempt to resuscitate him, breathing into him in the hopes that he would soon breathe on his own. 

It took a few scary minutes, but Rush eventually coughed back to life, wheezing weakly. Young heaved a sigh of relief before getting off the bed to turn on the light. He pulled out his radio, turning it on at long last. “Eli?” 

“God! I’ve been screaming into this thing! Is he okay?! What happened?!”

“I don’t know. Get TJ. Tell her she needs to get here now.” Eli didn’t respond, but he knew that was probably because he was already sprinting off down the hall. Meanwhile, Young returned to Rush, watching him. Now that the lights were on, he was shocked to see bruises around Rush’s neck, just as though someone had been choking him. He couldn’t believe what he was looking at- the dream? The dream had done real damage to Rush’s body? 

Destiny? 

Rush moaned and coughed, blinking open his eyes. He looked up at Young in a hazy daze for a moment, before fear washed over his expression. A small, raspy whimper escaped him, but his attempt to plead mercy only resulted in more coughing. Young raised his hands, trying to look gentle. “I’m not going to hurt you. Rush, it was a dream. Or… or maybe a simulation. You’re okay now. You’re going to be okay.” 

Another choked noise was all Rush could reply with. It was clear he couldn’t speak, and Young hoped his dream doppelganger hadn’t done something serious to his throat. He moved to get him a glass of water. “Shh, it’s okay,” he said again, “it wasn’t real. None of it was real. I’m not going to hurt you. I promise you, I’m not going to hurt you.” He set the cup on the unit next to the glass before stepping back. He didn’t dare get too close to the frightened man in the bed. The man who, for all he knew, thought Young had actually attempted to kill him just now.

They stared at each other until TJ and Eli entered the room. TJ immediately moved to Rush, while Eli joined Young. 

“I saw the whole thing with the kino,” he said, “I don’t understand. How can a dream hurt Rush physically?” 

“It must be more than a dream. Like a simulation.” 

“If it is, it’s different than anything we’ve dealt with so far. That nearly killed Rush!” 

“D-destiny?” Rush rasped out, though he was quickly admonished for it. 

“Don’t try to speak,” TJ warned him. But Eli didn’t help- he nodded furiously at the confused scientist. 

“I’ve been tracking you and Young the last couple days, to see if Young was doing anything without knowing about it, and there was no footage of anyone hurting you. You went into your quarters and then came out hurt! Now we know why- your dreams are physically hurting you somehow. It’s got to be some kind of advanced simulation, but… I couldn’t tell you why Destiny is trying to kill you…” 

“Can we talk about this later? When Rush can actually talk? Right now, I want to get him to sick bay- he’s taken a pounding to his chest, too.” 

Eli moved to help get Rush up, but Young didn’t attempt to go near him, just in case Rush was still feeling frightened of him. He knew how real those simulations were- you stopped being able to tell what was fake from what was real. And with actual damage the next day? No wonder Rush thought it had been him. 

It practically had been. 

It was a slow journey to the infirmary but they managed to get there eventually, Eli gently helping Rush onto one of the gurneys. The man barely seemed fully down on the pillow before he was unconscious again. Eli frowned, watching him. “He’s okay, right?” 

“He will be,” TJ assured him, “but right now I need space to work. So you and Young need to leave. I’ll radio when he’s done, okay?” 

“Okay…” Eli relented, begrudgingly leaving the medical bay. Young hesitantly followed, watching Rush for a moment at the door before exiting. 

Somehow , this still felt like it was all his fault.


	4. Nightmares

Eli and Young found themselves in the mess hall, neither eating but rather just… sitting at a table. It was still late, dark from the artificial night cycle that was still in play. At least no one was around to gossip about what had happened to Rush. Young ruffled his own hair, frustrated. 

“That was crazy,” said Eli. 

“You’re telling me,” Young replied, “I… that dream nearly killed him. If I hadn’t been there….” 

“Maybe it did that because you were there,” Eli suggested, shrugging his shoulders, “maybe it wanted you to save him.” 

“Why? When this whole time it’s been making him think I’m some kind of rage monster?” 

“I don’t know. But I can’t see Destiny just trying to kill Rush. And if it could do this the whole time, why not go with something quick? I don’t know. I don’t think this is about killing him. I just… don’t want to think Destiny hates us that much.” 

Young frowned. “I don’t know if the ship even understand hate. But it wants something from Rush, or from us, and we have to figure it out or I don’t know if Rush is going to be able to take it. He’s already turning into a pile of bruises.” 

“What should we do? And what about the other nightmares that have been happening? Do you think they’re a part of this, too? Maybe they’re just not as strong as what’s happening to Rush… not yet. Do you think it’s all connected?” Eli asked, clearly hoping their fearless leader had some master plan hatched already. Young frowned at him, before running a hand through his hair. 

“First, you and the other science team members need to find out if you can block Destiny again, like Rush did for me. I also want to know how long this has been going on, if you can figure that out from the power transfer or something.” 

“We can try! But it might need to be a whole new program, since it seems Destiny was able to override the one Rush created…. You don’t think this is revenge for that, do you?” 

“Like I said, I don’t know. Knowing how long this has been happening to him might help. Just do what you can, alright? This might help everyone in the long run.” Eli looked resolved, and Young trusted that he wouldn’t take this matter lightly. When it came to something really important, Eli could be a lot like Rush. Unwilling to split is focus on anything else until it was done. 

Young was actually glad for that.

Their small moment of confidence was crushed as Tamara’s voice broke over the radio once more. 

“Young, you need to get back to sick bay- it’s happening again.” That was all he needed to go sprinting out of the mess hall, leaving a much slower Eli in his dust. He made short work of the trip back to the medical bay, and practically crashed in through the door. TJ was hovering over Rush, shaking him. For all her medical prowess, it seemed she was at a loss for how to stir him back to life and had decided on something conventional. 

“He’s not waking up,” she explained, “I can’t get him to wake up, no matter what I try.” 

“It must be because of the simulation, like when we sit in the chair. He can’t wake up, either.” Young replied as he moved over to them, “Eli’s working on a way to block the ship out again.” 

“Well, the simulation decided to throw caution to the wind- look.” TJ replied somewhat bitterly, looking down at Rush. The poor man looked as haggard as ever, but was now sporting a painful black eye. It looked like it had just been made, and would soon look even worse. The bruising extended over his nose, which was dribbling blood, and he had another bruise on his cheek. Unlike last time, however, Rush didn’t seem to be doing much to defend himself. Perhaps he was still too weak from getting choked. 

“This is horrible,” TJ said, “we have to stop it.” 

“We’re going to. I trust Eli.” He didn’t say it, but he was just worried about how it was going to strain their relationship once all was said and done. If Rush had difficulty believing that none of it was real, then he wouldn’t trust Young. More than he already distrusted Young. Maybe that was the point Destiny wanted to make all along- the ship had never cared much for his leadership. But Rush had defended him anyway, in his own way, with blocking the simulations. Maybe this wasn’t about payback, but it was about continuing what it had started the first time. 

Just with a new approach. 

Once again, Young was being tested. 

Rush moaned weakly, blinking open one eye. They other remained swollen shut, making Young wince at the sight. He was clearly in a lot of pain, and it was unlikely he was going to be doing much any time soon. How could the ship do this to the person who understood it best? 

“Hey,” TJ cooed softly, watching Rush slowly come around. She moved over him, taking a small light to check his eye. “It’s okay. You’re okay now. You were caught in another simulation. Follow my finger with your eye, please.” Rush was doing his best to process everything, Young could see that. Maybe he hadn’t even noticed he was in the room with them yet. 

“Simu..” He coughed, bringing a bruised hand to his now bandaged throat. TJ gave him a pitying smile, but it was Young who brought him over some water. Rush looked up at Young like he was some kind of monster, his eye widening in momentary fear before he could mask it with his usual anger. How many other emotions did he mask that way? 

“It’s okay,” Young said, setting the cup down just like he had in Rush’s quarters, “the Young that’s been beating the tar out of you? It’s not me. I don’t want to hurt you, Rush.” 

“I don’t…. I don’t understand,” Rush admitted, reluctantly taking the glass of water, “what’s happening?” 

Tj and Young both did their best to explain what was happening to Rush, at least to the extent of their knowledge. That he had been suffering from highly life-like simulations, and somehow the pain he suffered inside them was transferring to real wounds on his body after the fact, only adding to the confusion between reality and simulation. Rush didn’t look like he believed them when all was said and done, at least not entirely. 

“I… none of it was real?” He croaked weakly. It pained Young whenever Rush spoke, like he was responsible even though it was a fake version of him. Rush struggled with the information placed before him, Young could see it on his battered face. 

“None of it,” Young told him, “I swear. Rush, my days of taking my anger out on you are over. I promise. Whatever Destiny was trying to do, we’re ending it. Now.”

“.... No,” Rush almost whispered, “no, wait. Don’t do anything yet.” That, of course, surprised the both of them. 

“What do you mean?” TJ asked, “you’re in no shape to take another beating. Destiny could kill you! Why would you want to let it happen again?” 

“Because now I know it’s not real. I can find out what it is Destiny wants myself.”

“Not a chance,” Young replied quickly, “you’ve been hurt enough. I’m not going to let you get hurt again.” 

Rush frowned at him, but said nothing. Young could see him weighing his options. Debating what was better between the two options. Did he want to figure things out himself, and continue to get beaten near to death, or did he want to let Young, the man who was in his dreams doing the beating, help him? It was fascinating watching his brain work, though it wasn’t like Young didn’t know what the stubborn mathematician would pick. 

“... Alright,” Rush relented, immediately proving Young wrong and at the same time falling right back into the idea that he never did anything anyone thought he would do, “what am I supposed to do? Not sleep?” 

“Seems the best option. I’ve got Eli working as fast as he can. We’ll get Destiny blocked and then we’ll see if we can make sure that simulation never happens again.” 

“Very well, colonel,” the man sighed. He looked tired. How was he supposed to stay awake an hour, much less potentially days depending on how long it took Eli to work? As Rush sat himself up, probably to fight off his fatigue, Young watched him. Took in his every move. He almost didn’t hear Volker come into the room. 

“Um, TJ, can I … talk to you about something?” The man asked, much more reserved than to be expected from him. Nervous. TJ obliged and they moved off to speak quietly to one another. Young couldn’t hear them, but he didn’t need to- he had a guess what it was about. The nightmares again. TJ’s face as she returned only confirmed it. Volker stepped over as well, clearly at the medic’s prompting.

“I’ve, uh, I’ve been having these nightmares lately. About the kidney transplant. Like my body was rejecting the transplant and I was…. But I thought it was just dreams at first… and now I’ve started to feel sick and it’s getting harder to differentiate. TJ said you should know about it.” 

“Yeah,” Young frowned, “and make sure anyone else who’s having life-like dreams comes to the infirmary as well, alright? Destiny is doing something to all of us, it seems. Some are just being hit harder than others.” His eyes fell on Rush again, who was quiet. Volker soon left and Young couldn’t help offering TJ a weak, strained smile.

“It’s going to be a long night.” 

And it was indeed a very long night. 

Several cases had ended up being reported. Volker with his kidney, and Greer with a similar nightmare. His operation had somehow come back to haunt him, and not only did he have to watch Volker die from shock, but he was getting sick as well. Park dreamt of never being able to see again, though she hadn’t realized it was much different from the norm, as apparently it was a depressingly common dream for her. She dreamt of her sight returning, only for darkness to find its way back to her. TJ, as she had mentioned before, dreamt of her baby, and losing it over and over again. Varro dreamt of being captured by the Lucian Alliance and tried for his crimes against them. For Chloe and Scott, it was each dreaming of losing the other, generally planetside while one was helpless to do anything for their lover. Eli dreamt of making a catastrophic error and causing the ship to explode. Multiple others dreamt of some kind of death or attack aboard the ship, either by other members of the ship or aliens like the Nakai. Some even had marks, much like Rush, though none to nearly the same degree. Most had just assumed they had bumped themselves in their trashing. But one thing was clear- whatever was happening to Rush was actually happening to just about everyone, they simply hadn’t been targeted so strongly. 

One man remained largely untouched by the whole thing- and Young couldn’t figure out why. Was this his test? To be the only one who WASN’T being tested this time? He felt almost like he was cheating the system, though he wasn’t the only one who seemed to have missed the boat. Wray and James hadn’t reported any nightmares, either. Lying? Or just lucky too? A couple of the other civilians didn’t have much to add, either.

Still, knowing who was and wasn’t having nightmares, and how severe they were, was only part of the problem. They needed to finish the program to block Destiny. The new override was taking too long- come the morning it still hadn’t been finished. Eli was doing his best, but there was only so much he could do in the time he’d been given. 

Patience wasn’t anyone’s friend.


End file.
